


Not Dead Yet

by Sinclaironfire



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst fic, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Final Goodbyes, Spoilers, saying goodbye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 17:12:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12822207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinclaironfire/pseuds/Sinclaironfire
Summary: On the brink of experiencing the Final Death, Hector says goodbye to Imelda





	Not Dead Yet

**Author's Note:**

> There's not nearly enough fanfics in this fandom. I must contribute.

A flash of marigold petals spirited Miguel back to the living world. The boy’s desperate shouts and pleas of wanting to stay were lost on the wind. Hector smiled knowing that his great-great-grandson was safe. He was too young to be here in the Land of the Dead. As much as he loved Miguel, he hoped that he wouldn’t come back to this place for a very long time. Hector wished he could have said the same for himself. His time in the Land of Dead was nearly up. His daughter was forgetting him. The vibrant soul that kept him alive for so long was no longer up to the task. The second she forgot about him, he was gone forever.

Personally, Hector was amazed that he had lasted this long. Living in the slums, he’d seen his fair share of poor souls forgotten. Some lasted a week, others a few months, but him? Seventy plus years. He’d beaten the odds and it was all thanks to Coco. She kept him alive even when no one else wanted to. A flicker of gold covered his bones. Hector could barely hold back his gasps.

The ending stages of being forgotten were closing in on him.

Being forgotten wasn’t painful like he thought it would be. There were no stabbing pains or unspeakable agony. This was a subtle sort of discomfort. It was more like coming inside from a cold day and being wrapped up in a warm and cozy blanket. Being forgotten forced him to relax. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t fight it. He didn’t have the strength to do it. All Hector could do was wait for it to happen.

He should have been scared. Being forgotten essentially meant dying alone. That was the case for many of the souls who were left without someone to remember them. Even Chicharron had very nearly suffered the same fate had he and Miguel arrived a few minutes later but they hadn’t and Chicharron was able to spend his last moments with people who cared about him. And now, Hector was able to go the same way. It had taken some time but he was reunited with his family. He could go peacefully knowing that his family loved him and that the mistakes of the past were cleared away.

Hector’s peace was disturbed by the Final Death taking hold of him. Another show of gold brought him closer to oblivion. It was maddening the effect that the Final Death had. His strength was sapped. He could feel himself slipping away.

“Hector!” Imelda cried out. Agony was etched onto her face. “I’m…I-“

Imelda was never one for words. She was action and passion but he knew that. Hector knew that when he first met her, when he courted her, and eventually married her. He loved her. He loved her spirit and her fire. The way that she let nothing stand in her way and could conquer any obstacle made him love her even more. But not even Imelda’s spirit could will him to stay any longer. He had held on for as long as he could. His time was up.

“I know…” Hector gasped, “Imelda? Will you tell Coco about me? I didn’t – I never meant to -”

He could no longer sit up. He couldn’t lift his head. Imelda hugged him. She placed a kiss on his brow.

“I will. Hector, I love you. With all of my heart, I love you.”

Hector smiled. For the first time, his words failed him. He could no longer speak. The Final Death had taken his voice away from him. However, one look at Imelda and he knew that she loved him and that he loved her. If he had to be forgotten, there was no better way to go than in the love of his life’s arms.

Hector closed his eyes and accepted oblivion.

“Hector!” Imelda held him tightly. She lost him once, and then a second time from death, but she could not lose him again. Not after everything they had gone through. Brighter came the golden light and she could feel that she was losing him. It broke her heart as oblivion claimed her husband. But oblivion never came for Hector. A fire erupted in his soul. Slowly but surely, he was getting stronger. His eyes fluttered open and he gasped.

“Hector?” Imelda dared to ask, as the light faded away. She was too scared to move.

His bones, yellowed with Coco’s fading memory, became a sterling white. She looked at him and he back at her. Carefully, Hector sat up.

“I’m not, I’m…I’m still here.”

“Miguel!” Imelda realized.

“Coco!” Hector understood. “She remembers! She remembers me!”

“And it’s all thanks to Miguel!” Imelda laughed cheerfully. She wrapped her arms tightly around her husband. “We’re still together!”

“We’re a family again!”

 


End file.
